"A little bit of the liberty tree will have died"

The patriots..."If we enact the bill as written, a little bit of the liberty tree will have died," said Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass).

"At a time when so much of the world questions our commitment to our own values, I urge my colleagues to show the American people and the world that we will defend our country but we will do so in a way that protect those rights that make it worth defending," said Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass).

...

And the fearmongers..."Renewing the Patriot Act before it expires in December is literally a matter of life and death," said Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla).

"The Patriot Act is essential to fighting the war on terror and preventing our enemies from striking America again," (President Bush) said. "In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment."

And the topper, an important tool for fighting.....meth terrorists???

Included in the House-Senate accord is a measure to restrict and record the sale of products necessary to cook methamphetamine, including ingredients in many cold medicines. If passed, the act would also give $99 million a year for five years to arrest and prosecute dealers and traffickers, plus $20 million for two years to help children affected by the meth trade.

"Doing so will send a strong signal that Congress is serious about fighting the scourge of meth," said Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-Minn).

How PA's delegation votedAll of PA's Republicans voted "yes" except Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Levittown), who voted "no", and Rep. John Peterson (R-Pleasantville), who did not vote.